From A Conversation With Martha Stewart

I’m not sure Martha Stewart would want me to call her the Queen of Quality, but “quality” is certainly signature to her brand, and I dub her that with all due respect for an amazing career which among other things, launched the “lifestyle” industry and continues to innovate it. I had the chance to see Martha in person for an interview and she won me over easily. Martha looked great, and was funny, engaging, forthright, and inspiring. No subject was off the table and she talked about everything with candor, humor, and the wisdom that comes from living a full life—every day. Here are twelve tips I took away from the conversation, expanded on by me. All of them are…Read More

Six Tips for College Students to Excel!

Your first summer internship? Feeling nervous? Not sure what to expect? Hoping you like it? Hoping you don’t mess up? Hoping people like you? Hoping you make some good connections? Try not to worry too much. All the other interns feel the same way. And all their leaders know you have a lot to learn and hopefully won’t be throwing you in to sink or swim without a little orientation as to the temperature of the water. But here’s a few tips to help you out. Enthusiasm and a good attitude go a long way! Repeat that all day long. A smile will usually get a smile. Be interested in all the opportunities to learn around you. Be comfortable asking…Read More

Fight For Your Dreams! There are so many great quotes from Robert Kennedy about the power of dreams, and following your dreams, but he is also the one who said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Which is my note for today. It’s easy to say, dream big or go home. Dreaming is the easy part. It’s the doing that’s the scary part. Achieving dreams takes action—sometimes daring action. But there are also practical steps you can take to ensure your goals get a little closer within reach. 1-Knowledge: Become an expert on your dreams. Figure out what you need to know. What is your subject? What is required? What’s going on in the field…Read More

How to help a friend, colleague, or family member through a rough spot.

Encouragement is a basic human need. It was late in my life when I really learned the importance and the power of encouragement. Once it struck, it struck deep. I began to understand this basic human need, I’ve gotten a little better at it. I’ve also learned it takes time and practice as well as insight and sincerity to really get it right. It’s easy to be rah-rah. That’s the quick pass at encouragement when you are running around to get stuff done and don’t actually have time to look the person in the face and see what’s up. Or the quick, ‘you can do it’, without recognizing what it really takes for the person to do it. Don’t get…Read More

How not to be Sucked Up by a Leadership Vacuum!

Phew! Take a breath. I just picked a really big topic for what was meant to be a short blog! The Vacuum of Leadership What do you do when you are in a job where there is a vacuum of leadership? When your leaders are so MIA, that people don’t even show up for work and no one notices. When the shop has not been minded for so long that the shelves are empty and even the employees are starving! This is what I’m going to talk about in my first blog after my book writing absence. Take another deep breath. All right let’s get into this. Identify immediately: Is this a transitional change or just how things are done?…Read More